Stolen Heart
by Gwendolena
Summary: When Gérald Blanc first met Aveline de Grandpré, she swiped more than just his heart.


"What can I do for you, señor?"

Gérald turned his attention to the merchant, a smile rising to his face naturally. The warehouse was in need of new supplies, so as accountant of the company, his mission was to find a reasonable price for those necessities - a task he was very well capable of.

"I'd like to make a deal for some of your wares. How much are you selling these for?" He gestured toward the tools on display in a wooden box.

"They will be six hundred a crate."

Not bad. Not excellent, but not bad.

"Perhaps we can arrange for five hundred?" Haggling was a speciality of his, he liked to imagine. "I will be taking four, by the way."

The Spaniard pondered this for a moment, seemingly doing the calculations in his head. "If you are willing to pick them up yourself, then we have a deal."

Satisfied, the two men shook hands to seal the agreement. The merchant, after scribbling into his black book, excused himself to relay the order to his ship and stalked away in the direction of the nearby port. Gérald waited off to the side, quickly writing a note to the employees back at the warehouse to have them retrieve the wares and handing it to a messenger boy.

A flash of green caught his attention. A bold color among the demure shades of cream and brown, his interest was piqued and he turned to face it directly, eyes hunting for the oddity. Feather hats and parasols obscured his view, but he continued to scour the masses -

And there she stood. A sophisticated lady with dusky skin and curly locks dark as raven's feathers. Her twinkling eyes and soft smile drew him in, and he was walking towards her, entranced and utterly captivated. Her emerald dress fluttered delicately, a beacon in the crowd.

"Uh… May I inquire as to my lady's… er… name?" Gérald faltered, suddenly tongue-tied in the proximity of her beauty. His heart flipped frantically in his chest, yet his brain, for some reason, felt the need to note the small scar on her face.

The woman did not answer, simply licked her lips and stepped closer. His gaze promptly darted down to her mouth and he gulped, finding himself unable to step back.

As if in a dream, she slowly lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, gently tugging him down towards her face. Incapable of resisting, he obliged, mind and heart racing swiftly -

When their lips met, the world around him fell silent, turning to nothingness. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss; his lost hands found anchor on her hips. The tenderness of it was intoxicating, as was the faint taste of mint when her tongue swept into his mouth, and his eyes fluttered shut as he swirled into sensation. She drank him in, and he, spellbound, gave it all to her.

And then she was pulling away, heady warmth leaving him. The buzz of the marketplace around them slowly returned and he blinked slowly, pleasure still coursing through his veins and blurring his mind. When she waved goodbye, a slight smirk gracing her features, he did not think to pursue her or request her name again. Instead, he watched drowsily as she faded into the crowd and turned a corner, out of sight.

Distantly, he heard the tsk's of the people around him, clearly annoyed at the public display. Only then did it hit him - what had just happened? A stranger kissed him in the middle of the marketplace, and he'd simply allowed it? What in the world…?

Shaking his head, he turned back towards the Spanish merchant's stall. The man had returned, having finished his task. As he approached, the merchant held out his hand, ready to accept Gérald's coinpurse.

He reached into his pocket, heart steadily returning to its normal tempo. It was time to go home -

Hold on.

"Er, give me a second." He offered a reassuring smile to the merchant, knowing it wasn't all that convincing.

He patted his other pockets, feeling them flat and empty. Maybe in his waistcoat - no, nothing there, either. Where…?

"I… I could've sworn I had my money with me…" Gérald muttered, brows furrowing.

After another minute of this, the Spaniard spoke up.

"Señor, you seem the trustworthy type to me. I do not think you were lying to me when you said you had money, so do you think perhaps you have been… pickpocketed?"

"No, I couldn't have been, I would have felt it - "

And then he knew.

"Oh."

* * *

The latest letter from Agaté had informed him that a new Assassin would be coming by his warehouse for introductions and possibly some weaponry. Of course, loyal man that he was, Gérald had prepared everything for the Assassin's comfort and was ready to receive the special guest. However, he did not expect to be waiting so long - it had been about two hours since the estimated time for arrival. He took a seat.

He wouldn't dare chastise the man, though. He knew just how dangerous an Assassin could be; he didn't need any trouble on his hands.

When the figure appeared in the doorway, he should not have been as surprised as he was. He should not have forgotten that Assassins were experts at walking without making a sound. He also should not have gasped audibly, tipped his chair backwards, and nearly fallen -

The figure caught him before his head hit the ground, firm arms wrapped around his torso. He sighed, all too aware that he had made a fool of himself. Outstanding job, Gérald.

"Ah, thank you." He glanced up into the figure's face, mildly surprised that the Assassin was a woman. There weren't very many of those around, but the ones who were were entirely capable -

Wait.

"You!" He squawked, pointing wildly at the Assassin. Heat rose to his face. "You were the lady in the marketplace! You took my money!"

It was indeed; he recognized those eyes glittering with amusement, the scar adorning her visage. It was her.

There was a pause. Gérald waited for her response, indignant but… flustered. When her lips curved into a smile, the memories of that afternoon came rushing back to him, and his traitorous heart beat quicker.

With her free hand, she pulled a familiar coinpurse out of her pocket.

"I suppose you will be wanting this back, then?"

* * *

**A/N: Based on "kissed them as a distraction while stealing their wallet au" from tumblr (I would include the link to the post, but will not allow me). ****I am no expert on the time period so if there are any inaccuracies, please let me know so I can fix them. Hope you enjoyed ^-^**


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